A topic that remains deeply uncomfortable in many organisations but should be something that happens without even thinking if done well is feedback.
Despite decades of leadership frameworks, performance models, and appraisal systems, feedback is still too often experienced as something to endure rather than something to welcome. For many, it arrives late, lands badly, and feels disconnected from the very goals it is meant to support.
Reflections during the sessions about the role that leaderships plays and how often we do this can be summed up on this quote: “If feedback only shows up at the end of the year, it’s rarely a performance problem — it’s usually a leadership one.”
This webinar set out to challenge traditional approaches to feedback and explore how organisations can move towards a human-centred, growth-focused feedback culture — one that aligns skills, behaviours, and business outcomes rather than undermining them.
Why Feedback Gets a Bad Reputation
One of the clearest themes to emerge was that feedback is not inherently negative — but it becomes damaging when delivered in the wrong context.
Kay Littlehales, co-founder of High Performing Culture, framed the issue succinctly: “Feedback in a great culture is an opportunity to empower and develop. Feedback in a poor culture shows up as an email saying, ‘Can we have a chat on Thursday?’ — and that’s where the dread starts.”
According to Kay, feedback is frequently misunderstood because leaders lack the time, skills, or headspace to deliver it well. When conversations are rushed, biased, or unplanned, they cease to be feedback at all.
She went on to add:
“If you’re stressed, biased, and haven’t had time to plan the conversation, that’s not feedback — that’s pressure being passed on.”
The result is a cycle of avoidance. Leaders delay conversations, hoping issues will resolve themselves, while employees grow anxious and disengaged — only to be surprised later by negative appraisals.
Feedback Is a Skill — Not a Leadership Instinct
Stuart Kirby, founder of Sparks, challenged the assumption that managers naturally know how to give effective feedback.
“Teachers are trained to give feedback — most managers aren’t. Yet we expect them to do it well, under pressure, without support.”
Drawing on his experience across technology, training, and high-risk industries, Stuart highlighted how high-performing cultures treat feedback as a shared responsibility, not a top-down correction mechanism.
He used aviation as a powerful analogy:
“Planes don’t stay in the sky because of annual reviews. They stay there because feedback is immediate, accepted, and acted on — every single day.”
In contrast, many organisations rely on quarterly or annual feedback cycles, creating a disconnect between daily behaviour and long-term outcomes.
Moving Beyond Tick-Box Performance Conversations
The discussion also explored how feedback often becomes overly transactional — tied to OKRs, KPIs, and end-of-year ratings rather than meaningful development.
When objectives are unclear or excessive, feedback becomes overwhelming instead of motivating. As Stuart noted, organisations frequently track too much, yet reflect on too little.
“We’ll have daily stand-ups to review project blockers, but somehow people development only gets reviewed once or twice a year — and that’s where things fall apart.”
Kay reinforced this point, emphasising that progress should be rewarded, not just outcomes:
“Progress looks different for everyone. When leaders recognise progress — not just results — feedback becomes expected, not feared.”
Feedback as a Growth Catalyst, Not a Judgement
A recurring insight was that feedback should be framed as future-focused, not retrospective. When feedback is anchored to specific moments, behaviours, and opportunities to improve, it becomes developmental rather than judgemental.
Kay shared a practical example:
“Instead of saying ‘we need to talk’, say: ‘Last Wednesday in the team huddle, I noticed something — let’s reflect on it together.’ That creates safety and ownership.”
This approach gives people time to reflect, invites dialogue, and removes the element of surprise — all essential ingredients of a healthy feedback culture.
The Role of Leaders: Clarity, Vulnerability, and Intent
Throughout the session, one message became clear: feedback culture starts with leadership behaviour.
One of the key standout moments of the discussion is exemplified in this quote: “If leaders procrastinate on feedback, difficult conversations don’t disappear; they compound.”
Both Stuart and Kay emphasised the importance of leaders showing positive vulnerability — acknowledging their own mistakes, learning openly, and modelling the behaviours they expect from others.
Stuart summed this up powerfully:
“Human-centred feedback starts when leaders stop hiding behind metrics and start showing people where they fit, why they matter, and how their contribution makes a difference.”
Looking Ahead
As organisations prepare for the year ahead, the message is clear: improving feedback does not require new systems, more forms, or additional metrics.
It requires:
- Time to think and plan
- Leaders skilled in conversation, not just evaluation
- A shift from judgement to growth
When feedback is embedded into everyday culture — not reserved for performance reviews — it becomes one of the most powerful tools for developing people and sustaining performance.
And perhaps most importantly, it becomes something people actively ask for — rather than brace themselves against.
